Mapsoft Automator

Version 1.5

A Publishing Tool for use with Adobe® Acrobat®

(V5 upwards)

Running under WindowsTM Operating Systems

Issue 2
March 2005
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ii
 Automator

Welcome.......................................................................................................................... 5

About This Manual .......................................................................................................... 7

Notational Conventions ......................................................................................... 7

System Requirements ..................................................................................................... 7

Getting Started ................................................................................................................ 8

Security ................................................................................................................. 8

Accessing Automator ...................................................................................................... 9

Defining Tool Configurations ......................................................................................... 10

Previously Defined Configurations...................................................................... 11

Defining Tool Configurations within Automator................................................... 12

Running Automator ....................................................................................................... 13

Creating an Automator configuration .................................................................. 14

Specifying the Files ............................................................................................. 18

Logging and Backup Strategies .......................................................................... 20

Starting Automator .............................................................................................. 21

AUTOMATOR 3
4 AUTOMATOR
Welcome
Automator is a robust, very powerful, automation tool which delivers a professional solution for
working with Adobe Acrobat’s Portable Document Format (PDF) documents to your desktop. It is a
unique automation macro builder tool designed to be used in conjunction with the following Mapsoft
publishing tools, which have themselves been designed to assist publishers and writers in working
with PDF files.

‰ AcroBatch
A very powerful feature which makes the majority of the batching commands supported
within Acrobat (via the Edit Batch Sequence facility) available from within the
Automator environment. For example, you could automate JavaScript operations from
within Automator.

‰ BookMarker
Creates a hierarchical set of bookmarks automatically. Bookmarks up to any nested
level can be created, based on the headings found within a document.

‰ ContentScaler
Changes the size of a page’s contents without altering the actual page dimensions.

‰ DocuMerger
Allows you to merge template PDF files with existing document content.

‰ Flattener
Dramatically reduces the size of certain PDF files by removing active parts like
navigation buttons and forms. Flattener can also move content from annotation (like
form content and markup) right into the document so that it can be archived or viewed
easily.

‰ ImagePlacer
Stamps images in a variety of formats onto your PDF document(s), either as an overlay
on top of existing content, or as a watermark below it. Images can also be transparent.

‰ Impress
Stamps text stamps onto selected file(s). Stamps can include variable information such
as date/time information and page numbering, including Bates numbering and Roman
numerals formats.

‰ InfoSetter
Sets Acrobat information options including Title, Subject, Author, Keywords and the
Base Uniform Resource Locator (URL) used for links to the World Wide Web (WWW).

‰ MaskIt
Masks/hides the contents of selected areas within a page or range of pages.

‰ MediaSizer
Alters the media size of the selected PDF document without changing its contents.

‰ OpenOptions
Manages Acrobat’s document opening options, including Initial View, Window and User
Interface options.

‰ PageManager
Allows you to create a new blank PDF document. You can also create new pages and
specify their size, and remove, insert and replace existing pages.

‰ PDFSplitter
Splits a large PDF document into smaller documents. Optionally, any pre-existing links
within the original document can be retained when that document is split into smaller
documents.

AUTOMATOR 5
 ‰ SecuritySetter
Manages Acrobat’s Security options within a document, including owner password and
access rights.

‰ ThumbNails
Exports thumbnails for your selected document(s) as image files for use in desktop
publishing or on websites.

‰ TOCBuilder
Generates Table of Contents automatically from existing bookmarks within a file.
TOCBuilder automatically creates the linked references.

You can select any of the above Mapsoft tools for use with Automator, either on their own (across
single or multiple documents) or in combination with each other. If used in combination, they can be
used in whichever combination and order you require in order to create a sequence of actions
(known as an Automator configuration) for those tools. Each tool can be added to this sequence
more than once, and each time it is used it can have different settings. This sequence of actions can
then be applied to one document or across a library of documents. Sequences of tasks can be saved
and re-used.

The above list may not be an exhaustive list of all Mapsoft publishing tools that can be used
with Automator: as Mapsoft increases its portfolio of products it is possible that additional
tools may be supported by Automator in the future. Please contact Mapsoft if you have any
queries as to whether a Mapsoft publishing tool can be used in conjunction with Automator.

6 AUTOMATOR
About This Manual
This manual gives full details on using Automator. It assumes you have a working knowledge of your
computer, its operating system and of Acrobat.

Full details on the use of all the individual tools that can be used in conjunction with Automator can
be found in their own individual User Guides, available when you purchase the relevant tool from
Mapsoft.

Notational Conventions
The following notational conventions are used throughout this manual:
‰ Cross-references to other sections or manuals appear in Bold Italics.
‰ Any variable items from where you have to choose a particular option appear in italics.
Italics are also used for emphasis.
‰ Names of buttons and fields appear in bold: for example, select OK.
‰ References to menu items are shown as follows:

Plug-Ins > Mapsoft > Automator…

In this example you would select the Plug-Ins option from within Acrobat followed by the
Mapsoft option and then the Automator option.

System Requirements
Generally the requirements for Automator are the same as for the version of Acrobat that you are
using. However, as an approximate guide, the minimum hardware and software requirements to run
Automator are:
‰ i486 or Pentium processor-based personal computer.
‰ Microsoft Windows 95/98/ME/2000/XP or Windows NT V4 with service pack 3 or later.
‰ 8MB of RAM (16MB on Windows NT, Windows 2000 and Windows XP Professional).
‰ Acrobat Version 5.x or later.
‰ CD-ROM drive.

Please refer to the Acrobat documentation for the minimum requirements for your version of
Acrobat.

AUTOMATOR 7
Getting Started
Automator offers unsurpassed facilities for automating the use of publishing tools within your desktop
environment. However, before running Automator over any of your PDF files, you should be aware
that any changes made to your files by any of the tools invoked during Automator’s run are saved
automatically.

You are strongly advised to keep backup copies of any files before running Automator over
them.

Automator can automatically backup your files for you before it commences its run providing you set
the Make Backups option within Automator before you start the batch run. This will make a backup
of the last saved version of the file. This may not match a version that is currently open so you are
strongly advised to ensure that all files used within an Automator operation are closed. If Automator
finds that any of the relevant files remain open after commencing its run, it will automatically close
them before proceeding. However, Automator will not save any of these files before closing them
(but does not output a warning message to this effect). It is your responsibility to ensure all files to be
used by Automator are in a saved state prior to commencing an Automator run.

Automator can also generate a log file each time it is run. You can choose if you want to overwrite
the contents of an existing log file (the default) or append data on the current Automator run to an
existing log file.

If you attempt to process files that are read-only, Automator will skip over them without modifying
them and an entry to this effect will be made in the log file. Similarly, if any of the files you attempt to
process require an Open or an Owner password which you have not provided to Automator, then
these files will not be processed and an appropriate message will be captured in the log file.

Security
When performing Automator sequences on files that have password security applied you must
provide the correct passwords in the Automator dialog box. If Automator encounters a protected file
it will use the passwords you provided to try to open the file and then remove all security from within
it. The Automator configuration will then be able to process the files as required. If it is important that
the security is re-set, then this should be done by adding Mapsoft’s SecuritySetter plug-in as the final
tool in the sequence, which should be configured to set the security back to the previous setting.

8 AUTOMATOR
Accessing Automator
The Automator tool is accessed by selecting the Plug-Ins > Mapsoft > Automator option on
Acrobat’s main menu. The Automator dialog box will then display:

The tool’s main dialog box has two separate views, each accessed by clicking the appropriate tab,
Batching or Apply, located at the top-left of the Automator dialog box.

The Batching view (shown above) displays when Automator is first selected. It controls which tools
are to be invoked by a particular batch sequence, the order in which they are to be invoked, and the
settings that are to be used with each tool.

AUTOMATOR 9
 The Apply view contains options controlling the files to which the batch operation is to apply. This
can be the current document, a single file, or multiple files. It can even be all PDF files within a
directory.

Before you can set an Automator configuration, you must first make sure that you have defined the
tasks each individual tool within the sequence is to perform when it is invoked by Automator. These
tool configurations can be created either ‘on-the-fly’ within Automator or within the individual Mapsoft
tools themselves.

Defining Tool Configurations

Each Mapsoft tool invoked within a batch operation must be used with tool configurations that have
been defined for that particular tool. Do not confuse tool configurations and Automator
configurations. A tool configuration defines the settings for an individual Mapsoft tool. An Automator
configuration is a sequenced list of Mapsoft tools and their individual tool configurations that are to
be used in this batch run. For example, if an Automator configuration first uses Mapsoft MaskIt to
mask existing page numbering within files followed by Mapsoft Impress to stamp sequential page
numbering information across those files, you must first define the relevant mask and stamp
configurations for the MaskIt and Impress tools respectively. You can define these tool
configurations either within the tool itself (in this example within MaskIt and Impress) or ‘on-the-fly’
while using Automator itself.

You can use a mixture of pre-defined tool configurations and those set on-the-fly in the same
Automator run.

10 AUTOMATOR
Previously Defined Configurations
All the Mapsoft publishing tools that can be used in conjunction with Automator offer the facility of
saving a tool configuration for later re-use with that tool and for use with the Automator batching
facility.

The way in which you create a tool configuration is identical for each Mapsoft publishing tool. This is
described in general terms below. However, for full details on using each individual Mapsoft tool see
that tool’s associated User Guide.

To use Mapsoft publishing tools to define a tool configuration:

1. Open the appropriate PDF document.

2. Select the relevant Mapsoft tool from the Plug-Ins > Mapsoft option on Acrobat’s main
menu. For example select Plug-Ins > Mapsoft >MaskIt. Your chosen tool’s main dialog
box will then display.

3. Enter your settings.

4. Enter a name for your new tool configuration into the Name Configuration field in the
appropriate tool’s dialog box, as illustrated below for MaskIt.

5. Next, click the Save button. This saves the settings you have just defined and makes
them available for use within an Automator session.

This procedure is the same for all supported Mapsoft tools.

There is no limit to the number of different configurations you can save for each individual tool,
although each must have a different name.

Each tool configuration defined using any of Mapsoft’s supported publishing tools will then be
available for selection within Automator. See Running Automator below for details on how to select
tool configurations when using Automator.

AUTOMATOR 11
Defining Tool Configurations within Automator
If, while using Automator, you find that one of the Mapsoft publishing tools you wish to use in a
particular batch run, does not already have a suitable task configuration, you do not have to come
out of Automator in order to set a new configuration for that tool. Instead, you can invoke the relevant
tool’s dialog box directly from within Automator itself, where you can then create and save the tool
configuration you require ‘on-the-fly’.

To define a tool configuration within Automator:

1. Select the Automator tool by selecting the Plug-Ins > Mapsoft > Automator options on
Acrobat’s main menu.

2. When Automator’s dialog box displays, click once on the name of the tool (for example
Mapsoft MediaSizer) for which you wish to create a new configuration.

3. Drag and Drop that tool into the Process field.

4. Double-click on that tool’s name in the Process field.

5. The dialog box for the tool you selected will then display. For example, if you selected
MediaSizer, the main MediaSizer dialog box will display, over the top of the Automator
dialog box.

6. Set the options you require within the tool’s dialog box and then save them as a new tool
configuration by entering a name into the Name Configuration field and then clicking
Save.

12 AUTOMATOR
 7. Click Close to return to the Automator dialog box where the new configuration will
automatically be selected for that tool as illustrated below:

Running Automator
To run Automator, you must first create an Automator configuration, then select the files to which
that particular sequence of tools is to be applied before finally actually running Automator. An
Automator configuration is a sequenced list of those Mapsoft tools and their individual tool
configurations that are to be applied to the selected files in this batch run. An Automator
configuration should not be confused with tool configurations which are for individual Mapsoft
publishing tools.

Each of the tools you select for use within a batching sequence is invoked in the order in which it is
selected within the Automator tool. In the example below, MaskIt with the configuration ‘MaskLogo’
will be invoked first, followed by ContentScaler with the configuration ‘AllPages65%’, and finally
MediaSizer with the configuration ‘AllPages2A5’.

AUTOMATOR 13
Creating an Automator Configuration
You can select as few or as many of Mapsoft’s supported publishing tools in whichever combination
and order you require to create a sequence of actions, (known as an Automator configuration).
However,

‰ If you specify both ContentScaler and MediaSizer in the same sequence, you must
specify ContentScaler first if these two tools are to have the effect you require.

‰ If PDFSplitter is used in a sequence you must ensure it is always placed first in the
sequence list, or alternatively it must be used alone.

‰ If applying security, it is always advisable to do this last, as once set, some security
settings will not permit any further changes to be made to a document.

A particular tool can appear more than once in a sequence with different tool configuration settings
each time it is used.

You should also note that if you attempt to run a sequence of tasks that contains a tool configuration
that has either been deleted, or is missing, then Automator will terminate its run and will output an
error message identifying the first tool in the sequence that contained an erroneous configuration.

The following steps illustrate how you can create an Automator configuration.

14 AUTOMATOR
 To create an Automator configuration:

1. Open Automator by selecting Plug-Ins > Mapsoft > Automator on Acrobat’s main
menu.

2. When Automator’s dialog box displays, click once on the name of the Mapsoft publishing
tool (listed in the Tool field) that you wish to be invoked first in this particular batch run.
In the example below we use MaskIt.

3. Drag and Drop that product into the Process field.

4. Click on the arrow in the Configuration field to display a list of the tool configurations
that have already been defined for MaskIt, as illustrated below.

AUTOMATOR 15
 5. Select the particular configuration you wish to use with this tool, or create a new
configuration if a suitable one does not already exist. See the section Defining Tool
Configurations Within Automator above for full details on how to create tool
configurations ‘on-the-fly’.
6. The name of the selected tool configuration will then appear automatically next to the
name of the appropriate tool in the Process field as in the example below, where the
MaskIt tool configuration ‘MaskLogo’ has been selected.

16 AUTOMATOR
 7. Repeat steps 2 through 6 until you have added all the tools you wish to be invoked in
this batch run. In the example shown below ContentScaler with its configuration
‘AllPages65%’ has been selected followed by MediaSizer with its configuration
‘AllPagesToA5’

When run, this sequence of tasks will invoke first MaskIt, to hide a logo, then
ContentScaler to reduce the contents of the pages to 65% of their original size, and
finally MediaSizer to resize the media to A5.
8. Optionally, use the Up and Down buttons to re-order items within the Process list at any
time to ensure the tools are listed in the order in which you wish them to be invoked.
9. Enter any User Password (open password) and/or Master Password (owner
password) that will be needed for any of the files that are to be used in this run of
Automator. Files requiring either of these passwords will be skipped during the batch run
if the appropriate passwords are not supplied here.

You can only specify one user password and one master password here. If, when
applying a task sequence to multiple files, two or more files have different
passwords, then only the file with the passwords matching those specified here can
be processed. It is your responsibility to check the security settings for each file
before commencing an Automator run.

AUTOMATOR 17
 10. Once you have a complete sequence of tools and their associated configuration
settings, optionally enter name for this Automator configuration and then click Save.
This will enable you to re-use this particular sequence of tools and their configurations
without needing to re-define it.

Do not confuse this last step with creating new configurations for individual
Mapsoft tools. An Automator configuration is a complete list of those Mapsoft tools
and their settings that are to be included in a batch run in the order in which you
have selected them, so allowing you to re-run this particular sequence of tools
over another set of files without the need to re-define the list.

You are now ready to specify the files on which you wish this sequence of tools to operate.

Specifying the Files

The options controlling the selection of files can be found behind the Apply tab in the Automator
dialog box.

To specify the files to be used with Automator:

11. Click the Apply tab to display the Apply view of the Automator dialog box.

Either check the Current Open Document Only button to select the current document
(if one is open), or check the As Specified Below button to select alternative file/s.

If you checked the As Specified Below button, now enter the name(s) of the
appropriate file(s) into the Path field as illustrated below.

18 AUTOMATOR
 12. There are a number of different ways in which you can do select the files you require:

‰ You can simply Drag & Drop to pull the relevant files into the Path field.

‰ You can click Browse to display a further dialog box from where you can locate and
select the files you require. You can use wildcards when specifying which files you
wish to select.

‰ You can even select every PDF file found in a particular directory. To do so, select
the Directory button. This displays a further dialog from where you can then select
the relevant directory. All PDF files within that directory will then be selected for
processing by the selected tools. (If files you don’t want are pulled in, highlight them
within the Path field and click the Remove button.)

If you use the Directory facility you can also optionally set the Process all
Subfolders option. This ensures the tools included in this batch run will not only
search the selected directory for any valid .PDF files, but also any child directories
located inside the main directory

If you do run Automator over a particular directory, and one of the files within
that directory is also pointed to by a specific Browse selection, you should be
aware that that particular file will be processed twice. This could be useful, for
example, for using a file as a progress meter using the serial number
generator in the Stamper tool.

‰ You can also select the From List button to select all the files or directories from a
list. The file can be comma or line delimited. When a file that uses wildcards is
selected, the panel will be populated with a list of all those files and directories which
match that wildcard criteria.

13. Files are processed in the order in which they are shown in the list in the Path field.
Should you wish to change the order, highlight the appropriate file/directory and use the
Up or Down buttons, located on the right-hand side of the panel to re-order the list. This
facility is particularly useful if the order in which the files are operated upon is important
(for example if you wanted to run serial numbering or page numbering sequentially
across multiple files).

14. Optionally set the Optimise option if required. This ensures that the files created by the
tools used during the batch run will be saved in a format which will facilitate efficient
viewing on the Internet. This typically reduces file size and restructures the file’s
contents to enable page at a time downloading (Byte Serving).

15. Optionally, click the Create List button to generate a text file listing the files shown in the
Path field in the appropriate order. This text file can be edited with a standard text
editor.(You can insert wildcards as these are supported by Automator.) This file can then
be used to create a new list in another session of Automator, by selecting the From List
button.

AUTOMATOR 19
 Once you have selected the appropriate files you are then ready to setup your logging and
backup strategies before finally starting the batch run.

Logging and Backup Strategies

To specify logging and backup strategies:

16. First, decide if you want a log file to be generated for this particular run of Automator. If
you want a log file to be created click the Create log file option. Then select the name
and location of the log file using the Browse button. Leave the Overwrite Current Log
check box checked to overwrite the log file on each run of Automator or un-check it to
append data to an existing log file.

Check the View Log File at End of Run checkbox if you wish the log file to be
displayed automatically at the end of the current Automator run.

In the following example, a log file, first log.txt containing information on just this run,
will be created in the C:\Test Files directory and its contents will automatically display
when the Automator finishes its run.

20 AUTOMATOR
 17. Next, choose if you wish backups of your original files to be created automatically or not.
When Automator is run over files the original files are modified and then saved. By
selecting the relevant radio buttons you can create a copy of the original files (either in
their current location or in a specified directory) before those files are modified. If you
choose the Into Folder option you will create a replica of the whole directory structure
for holding the backups.

Once you have chosen the tools which are to form part of this batch run, the sequence in which they
are to be run, the files to which they are to apply and what your logging and backup strategies are to
be (following the steps outlined above) you are ready to start the batch run itself.

Starting Automator
To start the Automator run:
18. Simply click the Apply button at the foot of the Apply view of the Automator dialog box to
run Automator.

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22 AUTOMATOR